Severe shortage of rabies vaccine in Kushtia
Kushtia Correspondent :
The district has gone in a condition of acute crisis of rabies vaccines. The vaccinesis not available in hospitals, upazila health complexes, and even pharmacies of the district in recent times.
The affected patients and their relatives have suffered a serious due to shortage of the vaccine for a long time. As a result, they are returning home without vaccine with a heavy heart.
Tamim Islam, who is looking for a vaccine for his mother, said, “My mother was bitten by a cat 7-8 days ago. So far, two doses of the vaccine have been administered. At present vaccine is not available.
I searched the vaccine everywhere in the town like at Amin Pharmacy and Incepta pharmaceutical Company’s depot in Kushtia, but I could not get the vaccine.
I have been assured that it would be available next week.”
Pradeep Halder, who came from Mirpurupazila of the district to receive the vaccine, said, “I have come to get the vaccine because I was bitten by a cat.
There is no vaccine anywhere in Kushtia. “I have heard that there has been a shortage of this vaccine for some time”.
“Being a large district, it is very unfortunatethat there is no rabies vaccine. It’s scary to imagine ourselves how helpless we are! If victims do not receive the vaccine on time, there is a possibility of risk of lives”.
Noor Bappy, owner of Marine Pharmacy in Kushtiatown, said, “Our pharmacy used to sell an average of 40 to 45 rabies vaccines every day.
This vaccine was available in many other pharmacies either. Several pharmaceutical companies supply this vaccine to the market.A leading pharmaceutical company Incepta occasionally provides it.
On the other handPopular Pharmaceuticals Ltd has stopped supplying the vaccine for a long time.”
Mohammad Raju Ahmed, an official of the rabies department at Kushtia 250-bed Hospital, said, “Currently, it is not possible to supply the vaccine at the government level.
It is not easily available outside market as well. Patients affected by dog, cat, monkey and bat bites need to the rabies vaccine for quick recovery.”
Dr. Hossain Imam, Resident Medical Officer (RMO) of the 250-bed Kushtia General Hospital, said, “The rabies vaccine that we use has not been supplied at the government level for about six months. We have been facing this dire consequence for the last one month.”
He said, “Two private companies used to supply the vaccine have stopped supplying it at present.
As a result, patients have been suffering in this disease. We have held a meeting on the issue and informed the higher authorities. We hope that the crisis will be resolved soon.”